Chapter 7

(The Music Festival)

My small two bedroom apartment was a busy place this morning. Everyone was scurrying around trying to get ready for today's event. I told the girls a week ago that I would take them all to the music festival.

They were all excited by the idea. There were seven bands that would be there to perform. Four of them were popular from my wife Brenda's and my young adulthood. The other three were newer. I overheard Brenda's daughters (Sandra and Jillian) tell her that those were their favorites.

So, I guess it would be a good time for all of us.

The venue was a large parcel of farmland located about 90 minutes west of my apartment. The advertisements that I heard on the radio made it sound like a smaller version of 'Woodstock'.

Brenda suddenly approached me. "Could we invite Tina and Kevin to come along?"

I thought about it, but not for long. "Sure", I said, "You make the phone call. Tell them that I'll pay for their tickets to get in, but make it clear that they're going to have to follow us in their car. So, they'll need gas. Also, warn them that its going to be an extremely warm day, so pack accordingly"

"Okay", Brenda said joyfully.

While Brenda was calling them, I took my own advice. I went to the closet and pulled out my hiking backpack. I stuffed it tight with a tarp, a thin blanket, a bottle of good sunblock, and some other necessities.

"They'll be here in five minutes", Brenda announced from behind me. I turned and saw her beaming smile. I realized that she was proud of herself. She had helped make two other people's lives more optimistic. That is why I truly love her.

As soon as Tina and Kevin arrived, we were off on our way. 90 minutes sounds like a lot, but it goes fast when you're on a good road.

The fact that the venue was farmland meant that the parking lot was a field. It was already half filled by the time that we arrived. That meant that we were going to have a considerable hike in and out. The backpack idea was a good one.

We parked and clambered out. I put the girls in charge of each grabbing a handle on the cooler. It was packed with bottled water and ice. It was therefore heavy. But we would need to stay hydrated. Tina and Kevin had a similar cooler, although not quite as large.

Before we left the cars, something caught my eye. A couple in their mid twenties walked by. They were both wearing shorts, but that was it. They were were both nude from the waist up.

I immediately whipped my head around to look at Brenda to see if she had noticed them. She turned her head in my direction and looked at me long enough for me to know she'd seen them.

I slid off my back pack and reopened the car door. I removed my own t-shirt and tossed it inside.

I looked Brenda straight in the eye and said, "Shirt", as I made a beckoning move with one hand. Everyone in sight knew that she wasn't wearing a bra. She seldom does.

"Please, not in public", she pleaded

"We're 'here'", I said in a louder tone and pointed inside the car, "Shirt".

"You do it. I can't", Brenda replied raising her hands to the sky in surrender.

Her top slipped up and off easily. She reopened her eyes and quickly realized the world had not come to an end. But, she was topless in front of dozens and soon to be thousands of people. She looked a little frantic. But, she didn't cover herself with her hands.

Her shirt went into the car. The car door closed and locked. I turned and looked at Sandra. She looked back at me with a look of terror in her eyes. I love these girls even though they're not genetically mine. So, I let this one go. I don't want to traumatize anyone.

I then reached into my backpack for the sun block. I took a good smattering on my hands started lathering Brenda's bare back.

"Arms straight out to your sides", I commanded. She stuck hers arms out.

When I finished with her back, I turned her around to face all of us. I spent plenty of time on her front. There are few things that are more erotic than a male rubbing sun block into a woman's bare chest.

Then something else caught my peripheral vision. It was Jillian crouching in front of my back pack. She was stuffing her top in the front pocket. She then stood up, looked at me through her upper eye lashes and stuck her arms straight out to her sides.

I reopened the bottle and poured out a big gob of sun block on my hand. I was very tempted to apply it to my step-daughter's upper body. But, that's a line that I don't want to cross.

I treat both of Brenda's daughters as if they were mine. In return, they trust me unconditionally. I didn't want either one to doubt my intentions.

So I held out the bottle to Brenda and said, "Help her out please".